QCF: Firegirl: Hack 'N Splash Rescue

ith a city on fire in the background, a young firefighter desperately tries to save anyone that may be still inside the collapsing building. With little breath left in her body and even less water to fight the blaze, she continues to push forward in desperate hopes of making a difference. All this, on her very first night with the fire department. Okay, maybe it’s not that serious, but it sets the stage for an epic experience. In Firegirl: Hack 'N Splash Rescue the noir themes and roguelite gameplay elements blend very well in an experience that is difficult to master but equally hard to put down.

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QCF: Fox 'N Forests

hen people think about video game nostalgia, their minds immediately fix upon images of pixelated sprites, alongside beats of synthesized chiptune sounds, and other trademarks from the early years of the medium. With so many throwbacks, and love letters out on the market these days, developers are now more pressed to celebrate the past in a way that’s more innovative than a majority of the retro-inspired titles that are currently flooding storefronts; callbacks are now starting to pull from some of the more nuanced moments of gaming history.

Which brings us to Bonus Level Entertainment’s Fox ‘N Forests, a 2D action-platforming side-scroller that was Kickstarted back in 2016 in an effort to deliver a very specific kind of nostalgia—the kind that’s reserved for a majority of the early SNES titles that defined the system before fighting games swept the scene. While there’s plenty of fan service to indulge upon and enjoy in this self-aware romp, a majority of Fox ‘n Forest’s charm is fleeting at best, and largely obnoxious the rest of the time, or worse—all too forgettable.

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QCF: Chariot

he concept of royalty truly is a fascinating distinction within humanity’s self-imposed hierarchy over the years. The prestige and responsibility it demands is a balance of finesse and leadership that’s equally important to both sides of the crown—even when that crown might rest upon the head of a self-absorbed, entitled narcissist.

Enter Chariot; a grand mission of tribute to the fallen king, undertaken by his two most loyal retainers, as they drag and push their majesty’s wagon-eered coffin, towards the perfect resting ground for burial so that the matriarch may finally move on to the afterlife.

While the whole thing may sound like a glorified escort mission at first impression, the reality is a delightfully heartwarming test of wits and resilience against the law of physics against a lump on wheels that’s essentially an out-of-body extension of you and your buddy’s skills and abilities—with an added test of friendship thrown in for good measure.

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PPR Presents Play Play: Princess Crown

ack in the beginning, before George Kamitani and company started the Vanillaware brand, they worked on a project in conjunction with Sega and Atlus for the 2D Powerhouse that was the Sega Saturn; game that would become a Holy Grail of sorts on the platform before it would get rereleased again on the PSP—Princess Crown. So many accolades have been attributed to this title aside from it being the catalyst for Vanillaware, but after all this time, have those accolades held up? Should this game have seen a stateside release after all?

George doesn’t really think so, and is Andrew still excited for the game after all this time? Tune in and find out as well simultaneously discover just how good Ser’s Japanese really is, as we stumble around our understanding of it along for the ride.

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QCF: Guacamelee

very culture possesses a title of incredible significance, one that grants the individual who bears it fame and the opportunity to leave behind a legacy for those who succeed said title; the proud lineage of the luchador is such a title. Majestic forces of strength in the ring, these masked heroes symbolize the principals and codes of virtue as they launch from colorful ropes and transform into deadly flying emissaries of justice against their opponents—Lucha libre is storied lifestyle and that’s what Drinkbox Studios’ Guacamelee aims to deliver, and it does just that, and surprisingly more.

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QCF: New Super Mario Bros. U

Nintendo has always had a special charm that’s undeniably inherent in each of their releases, even if some of them are starting to show their age. The “New” within the title of Nintendo’s resurgence effort to bring Mario back into the side-scrolling platformer spotlight has been looked at with some skepticism, argued to some extent even that it’s hardly “new” to begin with. With the Wii U out of the gates, we’re treated to the breakout Mario launch title; New Super Mario Bros. U, and while the “New” argument still holds some weight, this latest installment manages to defy any jaded expectations.

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PPR Presents Lime Light: Gunlord

It’s been a while but Limelight is back! We’re going to stream the latest from NG.DEV.Team, the frantic, old-school inspired Gunlord for the Sega Dreamcast! Take one part Super Turrican, one part Magician Lord, a little bit of Metroid, and you’ve got some bat-shit insanity, ripe for streaming! Tune in around Saturday, October 27^th, at 9:00 PM pacific time and join us in the chat on our Justin.TV account or settle in for the stream right here where George and Andrew get down on the get down and might have a couple of brews while they’re at it. 

PAX East 2012: Wither Studios Interview, Crowman and Wolfboy

During our coverage of PAX East, Press Pause Radio was sure to make our rounds throughout the indie alley portion of the show floor, and we stumbled upon Wither Studios and their showcased game, Crowman and Wolfboy. After seeing the details, GeorgieBoy made it his goal to interview the indie studio and learn more of the silhouette duo’s iOS venture.

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